Homemade Eggshell Dyes

Dyed and decorated eggshells can be displayed at times other than Easter. Of course you don’t want to keep decorated hard boiled eggs around for a long time. The trick is to use only the shells. Once you blow the egg itself out of the shell, clean the shell and added drop a few drops of white or clear glue to make it stronger, the egg shells can be decorated according to the skill level of the family member.

Blow out the Eggshell

It’s fairly easy to remove the raw egg from the eggshell and prepare it for decorating. All you need are the raw eggs, a large safety pin or long sewing needle, a container to catch the egg and water to clean the egg.

Insert the pin or needle to each end of the egg. You may need to exert a bit of pressure to make the hole. Push the pin down into the egg and twist to break up the membrane and pierce the egg yolk. Hold the egg over the container and blow the contents of the eggshell into the container. It’s just like blowing up a balloon.

Completely rinse the egg with clean water and let it dry. To give extra stability to the dry egg shell, put a few drops of white glue inside and around the holes you have pierced.

Coloring the Eggshells

There are many types of packaged dyes in the stores to color Easter eggs, but you can make your own with food coloring and vinegar. Don’t worry about the variety of colors. You can mix your own with red, yellow and blue food coloring. These are primary colors.

Mix:

Red and yellow to get orange

Blue and yellow make green

Red and blue make purple.

For each color use:

2/3 cup of very hot water

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

15 drops food color

Use metal or glass containers for the dyes so that you don’t stain china or plastic dishes.

It only takes about 30 seconds of immersion for the eggshell to pick up a lovely pastel color. Let the egg soak longer for deeper colors.

Decorating the Eggshell

Use a wax crayon to draw on the eggshell before dropping it into the dye. The wax will prevent the color from penetrating the eggshell, leaving a pattern.

Before dying the egg, attach stickers of various shapes. Once the dye has dried, remove the stickers to uncover the shapes that haven’t been colored.

Wrap rubber bands around the eggshell before plunging it into the dye. When dry, take off the bands to reveal the lines left by the protection of the rubber bands.

Marbleize an eggshell by adding a few drops of vegetable oil to the container of dye. The areas that touch the oil before the dye will not absorb the dye, leaving a beautiful effect.

Remember, homemade crafts are a great and easy way to entertain your kids any time of the year!

About Patrice

Patrice Campbell is a freelance writer working from the Denver area. Campbell started her writing career in the 1980’s, working for several Wisconsin local papers as a news, human interest and features writer, as well as a photographer.

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I think that dyeing eggs is so much fun. I even still enjoy it as an adult. I have done if for many years with children and they always take great pride in the eggs that they have created. Easter egg kits are not that expensive but can be made so cheaply with vinegar and the dye that that is how I usually go.